What is the title of your latest release? EVERGREEN   What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A modern retelling of Rapunzel meets The Secret Garden. Quill, a seventeen-year-old powerless dryad, is locked away to tend to his family’s magical garden. Everything changes when someone breaks in, and the prime suspect becomes the very cute—and very human—boy next door. Quill must solve the mystery and save his family’s magic, but things get complicated when his heart gets in the way.   How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted a small town feel to the book where everything is just cozier. In my head, it was going to be an intimate community where everyone has trouble keeping secrets. In Quill’s case, however, his is huge. His stakes just get that much bigger.   Would you hang out with your hero in real life? I would, but let’s be honest, I’d probably end up shaking him at some point and telling him to snap out of it. He gets a little too snarky at times and makes reckless decisions that jeopardize the important things. Then again, what teenager isn’t like that?   What are…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Ashley Wilda!   Writes: Hey there, Wildling! I write young adult fiction and poetry, but especially stories about the raw heart of the human experience along with a whiff of magic. My debut novel, THE NIGHT FOX, is a YA magical realism tale in prose and poetry about mental health, magic, and lost love. When Eli is shipped off to Raeth, a wilderness retreat in the mountains, the last thing she’s looking for is magic, carrying with her freshly-broken heart. But Raeth has other ideas, introducing her to versions of herself and the potential path toward healing.   About: A Virginia local, I’ve lived in one city all my life but love to travel any chance I get–even spending a semester abroad in New Zealand! From bungee jumping to rock climbing, my favorite activities are ones with a side of adrenaline. As a neurodivergent, disabled human, I’m an advocate for folks who find themselves at the intersections of marginalized identities and aim to create…

Book Title: HOUSE OF MARIONNE Character Name: Quell   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Different, I guess. I’m not sure how much I can really say. My mom and I are very close. We left my grandmother’s home when I was 5 years old. I remember it being a dazzling place, but everything that glitters, as my mom always says, isn’t gold. When we left, we had a hard time finding a consistent, safe place to stay. So we moved around alot. 14 schools. 12 years. 9 cities. And in each my mother’s focus was that I didn’t make friends or do anything to draw attention. So I guess I’d say that I am very good at being a shadow.   What was your greatest talent? I’m equally terrified and enamored with the dark magic that trickles from my hands. If The Order of Highest Mysteries knew I possessed this forbidden ability, I’d be killed. (I’m not really sure if that’s a talent.) Can it be a talent if you don’t really know how to use it? It just creeps up from time to time, getting me into all kinds of trouble. Still, it’s kind of…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE VALKYRIE’S SHADOW   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  The Valkyrie’s Shadow is a YA Sapphic Fantasy about Valkyries, who are warrior women on horseback. In this sequel to The Valkyrie’s Daughter, Sigrid rises to the challenge of being a leader on Sleipnir, the eight-legged war horse descended from Loki. But the way his power affects her threatens to destroy her friendships, her relationship with Mariam, and much more.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  After deciding I wanted to write about Valkyries, which are part of Norse mythology, it was a matter of picking which of the nine Norse worlds they should live on. I did some research and ended up choosing the beautiful world of Vanaheim, which was home of the Vanir gods.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Yes! I’d love to hang out with Sigrid and go riding together.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Soft, ambitious, dangerous.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  Writing this series has involved fun research into Norse mythology and Vikings. I…

This alley wasn’t straight, and it was darker than usual, despite the hour. Tall, cramped buildings were squashed in next to each other, creating a crooked path. The buildings leaned over the narrow passage, crowding out the light as if they were jealously guarding the darkness. CeeCee took a wary step in and was hit by a rank wave of smell. She gagged and staggered back. Garbage was scattered as far as she could see—rags, rotting food, rusty appliances—before a jutting wall cut off her line of sight, twisting the alley in another direction. The walls were smeared with refuse and who knew what else, thick enough that giant mushrooms as big as her head were growing out of them. They looked slimy and pale in the dim light. It was disgusting, but the twins had said this was the direction to find the Queen. She wasn’t sure if the Queen was an actual ruler of the alleys or just another weird character, but she was taking all the tips she could get from now on. In her experience, people who threw parties usually had some influence or at least knew a lot of people. It was strange how friendly…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE MOONLIGHT BLADE   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  A cursed girl enters a deadly magical competition to rescue her mother.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  The book is set in a fantasy world, but it draws a lot of inspiration from Vancouver, Canada, where I grew up. If you know the city, you might recognize the mountains, the ocean, the cool summers, and the tree lined streets. Of course, there’s still a lot of imagination layered on top.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Absolutely! She might not talk very much, but she would be a very good listener.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Determined, confused, loving.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  I’d drafted a few novels before this point but hadn’t had a lot of experience editing. Editing is a skill on its own, and it took many rounds, for me to figure it out. Now, I actually enjoy the process.   7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I…

Hi, my name is Kim, the K in A.K. Wilder. My latest release, CURSE OF SHADOWS, is a YA Fantasy that follows the story of Ash, a 17-year-old wordsmith who has just discovered she can raise a phantom. But instead of celebrating with her best friends, and the love of her life, she is spirited away to a remote Sanctuary at the top of the world. There they hope to test her powers, but what they unleash may have the world running for its life.   C is for CURE, what all are hoping for. U is for UNBOUND, what Ash’s phantom becomes. R is for RENEWAL, the promise of the prophecy. S is for SAVANT, Ash’s new rank. E is for ESCAPE, what Ash must do.   O is for OCEAN, where Ash’s love lies. F is for FLOWERS that bloom from drops of his blood.   S is for the SECOND SUN that shines brighter every day. H is for HELP, what Ash tries to be. A is for ALLURE, what phantoms see in her eyes. D is for DEADLY, the weight of the stakes. O is for OBSESSION, the strongest of emotions. W is for WILD, this…

1–What is the title of your latest release? FELIX SILVER TEASPOONS & WITCHES   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Think Golden Girls meets The Goonies!   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I always liked the idea of a lil seaside town being catapulted into chaos. There’s a place in England near Cornwall called Port Isaac that I pictured for the setting of Felix Silver.   4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Back when I was Felix’s age I think we would’ve been friends at school for sure.   5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Queer, kind, adventurous   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Writing this book was quite challenging. I was going through a rough time personally and so writing about love, magic and happy ever afters was tricky. I learnt that the best way out of a funk is to just keep pushing through it and to stay present.   7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I used to edit on the go but now I go back at the end.   8–What’s…

1–What is the title of your latest release? STEALING INFINITY   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  A teen girl with an unusual gift gets kicked out of school and winds up at a secret academy for time travelers where she must unravel an elaborate puzzle of history and time—one where she just might be one of the missing pieces. It’s the Da Vinci Code meets Riverdale.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  I could see the location so clearly in my head—a remote island surrounded by churning seas, that plays host to a hidden academy where art is revered, luxury abounds, and time travel is part of the curriculum. Since such a place didn’t exist, I created the fictional Gray Wolf Academy.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  In a lot of ways, she is me at that age, so yes!   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Strong, intuitive, resourceful   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  I learned a lot about art, numerology, tarot cards, Versailles, and the physics of time travel.   7–Do you edit as you draft…

Thanks for letting me drop in! I’m Theresa Nellis. I’m excited to share the second novel with you in my KEEPER OF THE MIRROR series. While on COVID lock-down in Japan, I tackled my first book, The Book of Peter. Since publishing that title, I have written The Portly Lady and its Prequel. The third book in this trilogy is currently in the editing phase with Atmosphere Press! I am a passionate supporter of animal rights. You’ll often find animal protagonists in my writing. Think the goofiness of Scooby-Doo mixed with the intelligence of E.B. White’s Charlotte. My inspiration is a blend of my experience as a Social Worker and Classroom Teacher—sprinkled with humor and twisted with dark, magical fantasy. The best part—I use my students as my unwitting literary muses. Sorry tiny humans—no extra credit! Embracing my dark side, I’ve ravaged through countless pages as Count Olaf inflicted misery and torture upon three unlucky orphans in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Next, I unabashedly dove head-first into J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series as I declared which house I’d be placed in—Gryffindor, naturally. Indeed, I gobbled up the wry humor from In a Glass Grimly by Adam Gidwitz….